


Force of Nature

by MrsHamill



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Domestic, Episode Related, F/M, M/M, Meddling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-01-07
Updated: 2009-01-07
Packaged: 2018-05-21 12:33:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6051727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrsHamill/pseuds/MrsHamill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jeannie Miller gets fed up and the IOA wisely gets out of her way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Force of Nature

**Author's Note:**

> Gnine inspired this with her lovely illustration [here](http://gnine.livejournal.com/42536.html) \-- thanks so much for allowing me to link to it, my dear! Sandgnat whapped it into shape, Ladyholder, Lori, Jer and several others held my hand and gave me encouragement when I needed it, thank you all. Any mistakes left are mine, all mine.

They had no idea what to expect when Woolsey called them into the conference room for a special briefing. Team Sheppard was on stand-down and still recovering, the 'gateroom was still a shambles from the fight less than a week before, and it was obvious from the non-verbal eye questions none of them knew a thing.

_Teyla with a raised eyebrow to John_ : Have you done something ill-advised again?

_John with a wounded expression_ : Don't look at me! I'm as much in the dark as you!

_Ronon with a sour look at Rodney_ : Bet McKay screwed up.

_Rodney with a condescending glare_ : Ha ha Conan, see if I share my popcorn with you tonight.

Then Woolsey came in, sat down and the doors closed. He straightened a small pile of folders in front of him and clasped his hands upon them. "Colonel Sheppard. The IOA has been petitioned at great length to grant your team extended medical and psychological leave on Earth, away from SGC headquarters, outside regular time off so that it will not constitute nor impact regular Earth-side leave. This petition includes all members of your team including Ronon Dex and Teyla Emmagan, her son, Torren John, and her companion, Kanaan."

He paused while all four members of the team in question absorbed the information. Before they could even take a breath, he continued. "Now that the threat of Michael has been eliminated, the IOA has seen fit to grant this petition, beginning immediately. This leave will constitute a period no more nor less than three weeks and will not include travel time to or from Atlantis base. There are, of course, exclusions and limitations in this granting and are contained in the folders I have here for each of you." He distributed the folders but no one moved. "After a thorough debriefing and clearance of each of you by Dr. Keller, you will be free to step through the stargate to Earth. As head of this expedition, I strongly encourage each of you to take advantage of this opportunity."

As one, the four other people in the room drew a breath but again, before they could speak, Woolsey held up his hand. "That is the official line. Now for the unofficial and completely off the record debrief." He sighed and turned toward Rodney. "Dr. McKay, your sister is apparently a force of nature."

Rodney blinked in shock. " _My_ sister?"

"Wait a minute," John said, straightening from his slouch, "You mean to say _Jeannie_..."

"Yes, Mrs. Miller is behind this. Apparently she started petitioning the IOA for this leave shortly after returning home after Dr. McKay's unfortunate illness--"

"But that was -- was -- what, seven or eight months ago!" Rodney spluttered. "She never said a word!"

"The IOA has managed to hold her off for this long, citing the many emergencies that have taken place during the expedition and your team's required expertise here. However, once word of Michael's demise came to her," Woolsey paused and gave Rodney a tired, mild glare.

Flustered, Rodney sat back in his chair. "Hey, it's not like she doesn't know who he is, and anyway, with the new security protocols in place..."

"It's not important," Woolsey continued. "Once she knew, she threatened a lawsuit and that, as they say, was the final straw on the camel's back. The IOA has caved and you are -- Kanaan and Torren John included -- all invited to Earth for some well-deserved R and R."

"Three weeks," John said, looking around the room as the news finally sank in. "Three weeks. On Earth. Hey, it's what, June? We could go to Oahu and I could show you what surfing really looks like, big guy," he said to Ronon.

"I would be pleased to visit the botanical gardens in London," Teyla said with a dreamy smile. "I have read extensively of them."

"I could--" Rodney began but once again, Woolsey held up his hand and interrupted them.

"Before you become too involved with plans, I need to tell you of the limitations, and there are several. Yes, it's three weeks, not on the official 'calendar,' as it were. Yes, it is on Earth. However, because of Homeworld Security strictures," and here he sighed, obviously irritated, "those three weeks will have to be spent together, and in one place. She might have managed to bulldoze the IOA, but the IOA has had its retribution -- you must stay in Vancouver, in or within twenty miles of the Miller house. Travel to any other locality must first be cleared by the IOA and must be en masse." He gave them an apologetic look. "I have little doubt, however, that with this group, you can find a way to at least partially overcome those restrictions."

* * *

Jeannie was so excited (and nervous, okay, she was nervous, Mer was bound to be at least a little upset with her for not telling him of her plans) that she was nearly vibrating in place as she waited near the baggage carousel for her brother and his companions. The two security guards -- both in grey suits and dark glasses and really, could the SGC have picked anyone more like the _Men In Black_? -- were completely calm next to her but she ignored them. There were two limos waiting for them and Madison and Kaleb were ready at the house and--

"Mer!" There they were! They were a tired-looking group straggling down the concourse with their own escort and carry-on baggage in tow. Ronon looked like he wanted to murder somebody but that was nothing new. She ran to meet them, a smile splitting her face. Finally!

Mer was already grousing even before she hugged him. "Jeannie, what the hell? You couldn't have seen fit to tell me--"

"Oh, it's so good to see you too, and John, and Teyla! Oh, look at Torren, he's so big!"

Torren was red-faced and fussing and Teyla looked exhausted. "He did not appreciate his first plane ride," Teyla said, sounding as worn out as they all looked. She willingly passed the baby to Jeannie and he sniffled and threatened to cry more, but went willingly enough, patting her cheek suspiciously. 

"Poor little guy!" Jeannie kissed his forehead. "Look how big you are! Is he walking yet?" She moved with the group as they headed towards the baggage claim area. 

"He has been pulling himself up and trying to." Kanaan draped one arm around Teyla's shoulders. He looked about as rough as the rest of them. "It is very gracious of you to do this for us, Mrs. Miller."

"It's Jeannie, remember? And it's nothing. The IOA and the SGC works you far too hard."

"It _is_ something and we're going to be stuck with you in your house for three weeks and I can't believe you--"

"McKay." John managed to silence Mer with one word and Jeannie shook her head, admiringly. She had to learn how he did that. "Your sister has gone through a lot of trouble to give us this break and I think we should be grateful and accept it graciously. And thank her." He turned to Jeannie and gave her a smile that made her weak in the knees -- damn, that man was pretty. "Thank you, Jeannie, and we promise not to get arrested or kill each other during the next three weeks."

She did her best not to blush. "Oh, it's going to be _fine_! We finished the basement with the money the SGC paid me for the help on the project, so we've got two and a half bathrooms now, and another whole floor of space." Torren had pretty much passed out on her shoulder, a warm and drooling weight in her arms. "Teyla, you and Kanaan can have the guest room and we pulled Maddie's old crib out of storage for Torren and put it in with her, she's so excited you'd think he's her own little brother. John, if you don't mind sharing with my dumb brother in the new guest room downstairs and Ronon, we bought a new pull-out sofa down there too, I think it's pretty comfy and we got a new TV! One of those big, flat ones." She patted Mer's shoulder. "It'll be fine. Just you wait."

Torren woke and was fussy again by the time their luggage came down so Kanaan took him again, trying to soothe him back to rest. They ended up putting most of the luggage along with Teyla, Kanaan, Torren and one of the security guards in one limo while the rest of them piled into the other limo with the second guard. 

Ronon still hadn't said a word, though he had accepted and reciprocated Jeannie's hug while smiling at her. She liked Ronon, liked him a lot -- he'd saved Mer's life, after all. She suspected there was a mile-wide gentle and funny streak under that surliness he usually showed the world. It was on the way to the house that he finally broke his silence.

"Why does this place look so familiar?" he asked, frowning out the window.

"You were just here a few months back," John replied.

"No, it was familiar then, like I recognized places."

Mer sighed. "It's because every television show in existence is shot here," he grumbled. "All of the ones you watch, anyway, the stupid, shoot-'em-up shows."

"Supernatural is not a shoot-'em-up show," Jeannie said, defending her favorite show.

"Yes it is; it's ridiculous to boot."

"Oh, yeah, they film that here, don't they." John grinned at her and she grinned back

"That's the one with the ghosts and monsters. Sweet."

"Like I said, ridiculous!"

"It's a fantasy, Mer! Not everything has to be scientifically sound!"

"Yes it does!"

"I like the monsters. And they've always got hot looking demons."

"Yeah. That one demon with the black hair and the great-"

"John," Jeannie said, giving him a quelling look but he just blinked innocently. "I was going to say legs! But she's got a great figure too. I like her more than the first Ruby."

Jeannie rolled her eyes as John and Ronon snickered. Mer was still in a mood though, snarking and grumbling. "I still can't believe you forced us off Atlantis for--"

"What other shows are made here?" Ronon asked over Mer's voice.

"Well, there's X-Files, I think, wasn't it?" John's lips were twitching and he was carefully not looking at Mer's face. "The movies, at least. Most of those crappy movies you love to watch on that science fiction channel. And, oh, Highlander was filmed here, wasn't it? You liked that one. The immortals who went around whacking each others' heads off."

"Sentinel was." Everyone in the car -- including Meredith -- turned to the security guard in surprise. He shrank back in his seat. "I like cop shows."

Mer made a rude noise. "That wasn't a cop show, it was gay porn. Jeannie, just how do you expect all of us to be cooped up in your house for three weeks without going insane?" He quickly turned and pointed his finger at John, who had his mouth open to speak. "Shut up. I want an answer from her and no more of your deflections."

"I was just gonna ask how you know so much about gay porn, but that's okay, it can wait."

Jeannie sighed. Sometimes she _hated_ her brother. "Look, Mer, you all work too hard and you know it. I saw it last year when you were hurt. You all need downtime, you especially! This'll be good for you, it'll be fun. And so help me God, you're going to have a good time if I have to nail you to a chair and force feed you lemon meringue pie! Jeeze, Mer! It's not like we're going to torture you!"

"I Have Responsibilities!" Jeannie heard the capitals in Meredith's voice even as he spoke. "I can't just go... lollygagging around the universe any time I please! What happens if the Wraith attack? What happens if something blows up? What happens if--"

He was working himself up into a tizzy and Jeannie shook her head and sighed. She was never getting through to that man. Luckily, John was there, working his magic again.

"Rodney, calm down," he said, putting his hand on Mer's shoulder and shaking him slightly. "The _Daedalus_ is due to arrive in just a couple of days and it'll stick around for a week and a half. Zelenka has control of the labs, and if anything bad happens, we can be back in just over a week, tops. Atlantis will survive without us for that long. Chill."

"You worry too much, McKay," Ronon added, kicking him from across the limo. 

Mer said, "Ow!" and made a show of rubbing his leg and glaring at Ronon. Jeannie just slapped his shoulder and rolled her eyes but thankfully, there was no more grumbling on the rest of the ride to the house.

* * *

Arrival was chaotic, of course. Madison was utterly hyperactive, running from person to person and chattering a mile a minute. John had already been dubbed an honorary 'uncle' during his last visit and Jeannie never tired of seeing the bashful, pleased glow John's face always had whenever Madison called him by the honorific. She also loved watching Mer with Madison -- her curmudgeon brother who always loudly claimed to despise children of all ages, types and kinds but who called his niece 'little lady' and always made sure to have a present for her and never balked at reading or explaining anything (at length) to her.

Ronon with Madison was hysterical. Madison was shy with him for about five minutes, then had him on the floor of the living room with a ton of Legos and her Hot Wheels cars, building whole cities. Kanaan put Torren in the crib in Madison's room and to everyone's surprise, he fell asleep immediately, a testament to his exhaustion. 

It didn't take long for everyone to get settled in and unpacked. John, at least, was appreciative of the new basement modifications and approved of the new TV and surround sound. Meredith acted like he had a thundercloud on a string behind him everywhere he went, but Jeannie just ignored him, talking with Teyla and John and laughing at Ronon, playing with Madison. Kanaan hit it off instantly with Kaleb and disappeared out into the backyard and Kaleb's big vegetable garden, yakking about the war on the bunnies Kaleb had been waging.

Once Jeannie had everyone gathered around the kitchen island, holding drinks and relaxing, she started in. "So, here's what I've been thinking. Kaleb's off, it's June and between semesters. He's got to go in a couple of days each week but overall, he'll be around. So I thought we could cram all our holidays in these three weeks! You never get to come home for them, you know, Christmas or Thanksgiving or any of the American holidays and I don't know if there's any Athosian holidays we could celebrate, but I thought we could have traditional food and put up something like Christmas decorations, and--"

"Oh, Jeannie," Mer whined, but John and Teyla cut him off.

"I think that is a splendid idea," Teyla said.

"Absolutely," John agreed. "Hey, we're going to be headed home by the fourth, but we could still do a cookout and have sparklers! I bet we could get some bottle rockets too."

"Oh, like we don't get enough fireworks fighting the Wraith?" Mer said, crossing his arms and glowering at John.

"Mer!" Jeannie hissed, glaring at him then looking pointedly at Madison in the living room.

He rolled his eyes but subsided.

"Well, tonight, we'll just take it easy, because I'm sure you're all tired from travel." Jeannie gave Mer a sour look. "But tomorrow, we'll plan on having a Thanksgiving feast, complete with all the trimmings, and I know Mer will appreciate _that_." 

Mer returned her glower with a condescending look but no words, thankfully. 

"Uh," John said, scratching the back of his head, "we, uh, going to have to have tofurkey on this Thanksgiving feast?"

Jeannie had to laugh at his expression. "No, that's okay, I know you're not vegetarians, John, we'll have real turkey."

Teyla looked confused. "Vege...?"

"It means they're freaks who won't eat meat and how come you're bending the rules for them when you won't for me?" Mer said, outraged.

"Because _you're_ family and just _one person_ and when there's a lot _more_ than just _one person_ , we bend the rules, _Meredith_ ," Jeannie replied with some asperity. "We'll have a lot of vegetarian dishes too, but we'll also have a few meat dishes. I wouldn't dare keep meat away from Ronon!"

"Good plan," John agreed, laughing.

* * *

Torren woke from his nap fresh and raring to go, and Jeannie gave Teyla the ultimate in gifts -- Madison's old walker. Teyla, once she figured out what it was, was beside herself with joy. 

"I have had to carry him all over Atlantis," she said, her voice sounding suspiciously thick, like with tears. Torren was tearing hell for leather all over the house, which Jeannie and Kaleb had freshly baby-proofed for just such a visit. "Hours I would walk with him, trying to get him to nap, for miles around Atlantis' corridors." 

Torren was gurgling happily as his little feet propelled him in his walker, careening from one obstacle to another, nearly flattening Mer as he emerged from the kitchen with a cup of coffee.

"Hey, hey! Watch it there, Speed Racer! Is that thing safe?" Torren gave him a gummy smile and skidded off in another direction, slamming into John.

"He's going to be so worn out by nap time you'll have to wake him up for bedtime!" Jeannie said with a laugh. "Madison loved that thing. That and her Jolly Jumper, but Torren's a little old for that."

"And Madison is a little old for that! Why do you still have it?" Mer joined them, watching Torren destroy Madison's Lego village, gurgling happily. "For that matter, why do you still have her crib?"

"Well, we, uh... we haven't really..." Jeannie rolled her eyes and looked down, almost certain she was blushing.

Before she could speak, Mer did. "Oh my God, you think you want another one! I don't believe you! Haven't you heard of overpopulation? And you owe it to mathematic community to-"

"Rodney!" Teyla looked almost affronted. "I believe that is a choice your sister and her husband must make and really is not at all your business!"

John came up behind Mer and smacked him in the back of they head. "Yeah!"

Jeannie had a hard time keeping a straight face. These friends of her brother's must really love him to treat him like this -- like he was family, their family. She hoped he knew that -- but he probably didn't. Mer could be so dense at times. "Mer. You'll be the third to know if I decide to have another kid. In the meantime, why don't you figure out a way to build one of these for Torren in Atlantis?"

The outraged expression on Mer's face drained away as the idea percolated through. "Oh. Oh! Yeah, I could do that. But we'd have to set up..." He snapped his fingers. "A security perimeter." He turned to John. "We could put a tracking device in it and set up limitations, where he could go, keep him from stairs..."

"Yeah, safe areas," John said, nodding. "Atlantis would be a better babysitter than any of us."

Teyla looked intrigued. "Do you mean to use it to prevent him from being hurt while giving him room to move around?"

"And more than that, we could circumscribe where he goes, keep him to a certain area, a safe area..."

Her work was done here, Jeannie thought was a satisfied smile. She looked down at Madison and Ronon, who had their heads together, planning something. They didn't need anything at all except possibly snacks, and Madison knew where those were kept. Torren was having a blast ramming the walker into the sofa, so she headed out the back door to check on her husband and Kanaan.

Kaleb had been working on his vegetable garden for several years, adding to it each year they'd been in their current house. The problem was the rabbits who had recently discovered it and had been treating it as their own private greengrocer and decimating his crop. Her normally gentle and kind husband had been becoming increasingly frustrated and angry over it, and Jeannie didn't really know how to help him. 

She found the two of them way in the back of the garden, near the fence line, on their knees in the dirt, inspecting something. "Okay, what are you two up to?" she asked as she carefully picked her way through the beets and the cauliflower.

"I was showing Kanaan where the worst of the damage came from," Kaleb said, distracted.

Kanaan turned to her with a wide smile. "What wonderful soil you have here! You could grow anything! I must have Dr. McKay send you some of our seeds. Tuttle root would grow like a weed here, and I would love to have some of your winter kale."

"It's absurd they won't let us trade more vegetables, the Athosians have some great plants. Have you tried tuttle root, sweetheart?"

"Ah... no. I don't think so. I'll have to ask Teyla." Even as she answered, though, Kaleb pointed out another print or something, and the two guys started babbling about something -- rabbits? -- she wasn't sure. Male bonding, she supposed, vegetable style. At least it wasn't over football.

* * *

In the morning, she found Teyla nursing a sleepy Torren in the sunny dining room in an otherwise quiet house. "Where is everybody?"

"Kanaan woke early with Torren, and I believe he is now outside with Kaleb," Teyla replied quietly. She smiled fondly at Torren. "I have not heard anything from downstairs."

Jeannie smiled and smoothed Torren's hair back. "He's getting so big. I bought some cereal for him, would you like me to mix some for you?"

"That would be a kindness. I am only nursing him twice a day now, and have been giving him some fruit as well --  his appetite is growing stronger. Bananas have been a favorite so far."

"Oh yes. Madison's too. We've got raisins and plenty of applesauce--"

Mer came stumbling into the kitchen looking like a rumpled bedspread. He made a beeline for the coffee pot and Jeannie got out of his way, knowing too well what would happen if she impeded him. As Mer inhaled his first cup, she continued talking with Teyla.

" _As_ I was saying. We've also got plenty of Cheerios, which was another perennial favorite. Perfect for grubby little fingers and healthy to boot. Do you have it on Atlantis?"

"Of course we have cereal on-- Oh God, Teyla warn a body won't you?!" Mer turned and caught sight of Teyla as he interrupted their conversation and winced.

Teyla glowered. "Rodney. We have shared words on this," she said in a warning tone.

"I know I know but Christ it's the crack of dawn..." He poured himself another mug of coffee and slumped in a chair at the island and drooped over it, carefully avoiding looking at Teyla. 

Jeannie exchanged an eyeroll with Teyla then went ahead mixing the cereal. "Where's everyone else?"

"Hairboy and Conan went for a run at Oh-God-Thirty this morning and are now enjoying cartoons with your daughter. Can't you hearing  the braying from up here? There's no way in hell I could sleep through that."

"I guess I'd better get busy cooking breakfast, then," Jeannie said with a grin. 

It must have been the smell of bacon that drew the three from the basement, because by the time breakfast was ready, there was a crowd in the kitchen. Teyla fed Torren cereal, a banana, a little bit of egg and a few other things that he demanded to gum while the guys merely ate everything in sight, including quite a few vegan dishes they didn't recognize and Jeannie didn't call attention to. Mer spent most of the breakfast inhaling food while complaining about how he never got real meat when he visited alone. Jeannie finally shut him up by threatening to take the coffee away.

Once the bacon (turkey bacon, not vegetarian but still healthier than pork) was gone and clean up accomplished, Jeannie brought out the list. "Okay, listen up. Dinner tonight is traditional Thanksgiving feast. That means turkey, stuffing -- not from the turkey so Kaleb and I can enjoy it -- mashed potatoes, steamed sweet potatoes, peas with pearl onions, carrots in glaze and Grandma Yvonne's cheese strata, which I put in the fridge last night and which should make Mer extremely happy."

Mer's jaw dropped and his eyes widened. "Grandma Yvonne's... oh my God. Really?"

"Yes, really." Jeannie grinned. "I'm sure you've all had turkey but I'm pretty sure none of you have had that. Now, tomorrow, we're going to start our Christmas in June, which should be a lot more fun than it is in December. Only small, silly gifts allowed, and our Christmas feast will be in three days. Teyla, would you like to come with me to the store to help me get all the fixings for that tomorrow?"

Teyla smiled. "I would love to. I have never been to your food markets on Earth, though I have been to what is called the 'mall'... although that was under slightly... different circumstances." She turned and gave John an impish grin; John actually ducked his head and looked abashed. Jeannie decided she'd have to get to the bottom of that one before the end of the vacation.

* * *

Kaleb and Kanaan were outside all day, working on something in the garden. Ronon took Madison and Torren outside too, played with them on the swing set and kept them out of everyone's way. Mer kept trying to pick up a computer and John kept finding ways to distract him and Jeannie kept watching, trying to hide her grin. Those two were hysterical, so much like an old married couple it never failed to make Jeannie laugh.

Teyla spent most of the day with Jeannie in the kitchen, puttering, getting the food ready. She was fascinated by the process of cooking the turkey and compared the potatoes -- both sweet and regular red -- with tubers she'd eaten in her native galaxy. "I confess I am not the best of cooks," she said, while peeling the regular potatoes. "I am often teased about it."

Jeannie grinned and shrugged. "My grandmother -- Grandma Yvonne -- used to say it skips generations. She was an exquisite cook but my mother could burn water. I'm pretty good, but it's been a while since I had the chance to really cut loose. Kaleb is the vegetarian gourmet cook around here."

They were quiet for a moment before Teyla said, "How extraordinary to be devoted to not eating meat. I do not think I have met another culture that does so."

"I think," Jeannie said, carefully chopping fresh green onions, "you'd have to be a pretty advanced or pretty sheltered to be vegetarian. You know? I can't imagine a nomadic culture being tied to the soil. Or one constantly on the run from the Wraith."

Teyla was nodding. "Yes, I agree. I have always preferred greens to meat, but often meat was all there was to eat in those dark, cold days of winter. The Wraith would often find our fields and watch them, knowing we would return to tend them."

"Oh, now that sucks."

"Indeed it does, and deeply," Teyla replied gravely. Then she met Jeannie's gaze and both burst into giggles. 

"All right, what are you two doing?" Mer demanded, walking into the kitchen behind John.

"Do you _really_ want to know, Mer?" Jeannie asked, her eyebrows raised.

John smacked the back of Mer's head. "I've learned 'don't ask, don't tell' is an excellent strategy to take around giggling females, Rodney," he said. "Hey, listen, is there a Best Buy around here?"

Jeannie shared a suspicious look with Teyla. "Yeah, there's one in Cambie. Why?"

"We're going to go get a Wii, hook it up in the basement. It's educational!" John defended as soon as Jeannie opened her mouth to protest.

"We'll get some yoga stuff and ballet for Madison, and you can keep the games out of her reach. Come on, Jeannie," Mer whined.

"Meredith..."

"You'll love it I guarantee it, and if you don't, we'll take it back to Atlantis with us." John looked so earnest and innocent, butter wouldn't melt in his mouth.

Jeannie was a sucker for a man that pretty so she caved. "All right, all right." She pulled out the keys for the Prius. "Here. You know how to get there?"

"You said Cambie? I do." Mer caught the keys. "When's dinner?"

"It's only noon! We won't eat until four-thirty at least. Go on, get out of our hair." 

They practically ran out of the house, talking a mile a minute. Jeannie shook her head and went back to slicing mushrooms to add to the onions. "Those two. How do you get _any_ work done?"

Teyla sighed. "It is... difficult at times. And Ronon is just as bad, if not worse."

They worked in silence again for a while until Jeannie started to sauté the vegetables with spices and wine. "You know," she said, a bit tentatively, "I never heard the real story behind Mer's break-up with Katie. He just kind of glossed over if and told me to drop it." She glanced back over her shoulder to Teyla, who was just finishing up on the potatoes. "Tell me?"

Teyla carried the potatoes to the sink and put them there before speaking. "It is... a very typical Rodney story," she began. "Katie was not a good match for him, even I could see that. She is a very pretty girl but very shy, very tentative. Around her, Rodney was not himself, he tried to be gentle and sweet."

Jeannie snorted. "Yeah, not like him at all."

Teyla smiled. "He can be kind, he can be gentle. In fact, I would say that he is that way all the time, but he hides it under a thick layer of sarcasm and scorn. He does not wish anyone to see what vulnerabilities lie beneath."

Jeannie had to close her eyes for a minute and take a shaky breath -- Teyla had just summed up her brother a few, well-chosen words. She hadn't known someone else could see so clearly into Mer's heart, and she thanked whatever deity there was that he had stumbled into a team that loved him so dearly.

"Jeannie?"

Teyla's soft hand was on her shoulder. "I believe your vegetables may be burning."

"Oops." She hastily took the pan from the heat and stirred it, adding a little water and soy to the bottom. "Sorry. I just..."

"You do not need to worry; we love your brother very much as well." Teyla sighed. "There was a false quarantine; the city locked itself down as if there were a contagion, and Rodney happened to be in the bio-labs with Katie when it happened." Teyla smiled wryly. "John told me he had gone to propose marriage. Instead, they were locked in and Rodney thought it was a genuine contagion of which he had contracted and was dying."

Jeannie winced and rubbed her forehead. "Oh, God. My hypochondriac brother."

"Yes. Katie saw the worst of him and he knew it. Rodney needs someone who can know the worst of him and still love him for it. That is why I am most concerned about his new relationship with Jennifer."

"Jennifer?" Jeannie frowned, searching her mental database. Had Mer mentioned anyone? "Jennifer..." suddenly she remembered. "Jennifer _Keller_?"

Teyla looked confused. "You did not know? They have only been seeing each other for a few months."

"She's his _doctor_ and half his age! Well, okay, not half, but--"

"Ronon had expressed an interest as well, but Rodney has been seriously pursuing her." Teyla put her hand on Jeannie's arm. "I do not think age is a serious consideration to their relationship, Jeannie."

"But she's his doctor!" Jeannie said, still frustrated. Then something... a niggling memory came back to her. Something Dr. Keller had said... no, something she had seen. Something recorded. Oh... oh no. "Oh... holy cow. No. Mer said... he told her..." Jeannie sighed. "You know why Keller didn't diagnose what was wrong with Meredith earlier? Because he was acting 'nice' and she liked him that way. 'Nice.' No, this is not a good thing. No way."

Teyla chuckled softly. "You have my agreement, Jeannie. The person who is best suited for your brother is closer than you would think. However, neither of them realize it and that is the greatest tragedy for both of them."

Jeannie dropped the pan on the stove and turned to face Teyla, blinking in surprise. "What? Who?"

Teyla drew a breath to answer but just then the back door flew open to admit Madison, wrestling Torren into the room. He was half-upright, gurgling happily as she waddled in, supporting him with her arms around his torso. "Mom! We're hungry, can we have something to eat?"

"Where is Ronon?" Teyla said, as Torren landed with a plop on the floor and quickly crawled to her. He climbed upright again, using her trousers as a ladder, and she bent to pick him up.

"He helped us up here and went out back with Daddy and TJ's daddy, 'cuz they were yelling something and we're hungry!"

Torren obligingly smacked his mouth in emphasis and began gumming Teyla's hand, chanting "mum mum mum" as he did so. Jeannie smiled widely at him.

"Well, it's lunch time anyway. Would you like to help feed Torren? Teyla, could you handle the beasts while I finish the stuffing?"

* * *

Mer and John returned after lunch and spent a good deal of time in the basement, hooking up their new toy. Ronon and Madison joined them after Torren went down for his nap, and the decibel level went up accordingly. When the turkey came out of the oven around four-thirty, the aroma drew everyone upstairs, which meant the kitchen was crowded with men all trying to steal bites of food.

Jeannie finally had to put her foot down. "That's enough of that. John, you go set the table. Ronon, please cut the carrots, radishes and cucumbers for the salad. Mer, go fetch Kaleb and Kanaan from the garden, please. Teyla, can you handle the potatoes?"

"Yes, how much butter should I add?" 

"Oh, just put in a whole stick. Ronon! If you're going to use that knife, please wash it first! Madison, you may _not_ use that knife, but you may watch him if you're careful!"

"What's with those two in the garden anyway? We've barely seen them since yesterday," Mer asked, opening the back door.

"Oh, I don't know, they're doing something about the bunnies. The napkins are in the top drawer on the left, John." 

"Well, if they start chanting anything that sounds like 'kill piggy,' I'm calling the cops." 

Jeannie rolled her eyes. Madison was watching Ronon slice and dice vegetables for the salad -- he looked like one of those crazy Japanese chefs on television as he flourished the dangerous-looking shiv he pulled from somewhere Jeannie didn't want to think about. Torren was holding on to Teyla's trousers, one finger in his mouth and his eyes fastened on Madison like she hung the moon. Teyla was busy mashing the potatoes, so Jeannie got the milk from the fridge for her, while she began slicing the turkey.

When Kaleb and Kanaan finally made it inside, they were a grubby, happy mess. "Ack! You look like you've been rolling in it!" Jeannie cried. "Go clean up or you're getting nothing at all to eat! Here, Mer, put the stuffing on the table, would you? Teyla, could you stir the gravy, see if it's thick enough? Hey, you, mister Ginsu knives, make yourself useful and get the kids seated at the table, please."

It took a while, but eventually they were all clean and seated, with plates piled high with food. Torren was very happily smearing cranberry relish in his mouth, nose, ears, hair and shirt (he looked like the victim of a train wreck, Jeannie thought) while also being fed both kinds of potatoes and a little cereal. Mer was rhapsodizing about Grandma Yvonne's cheese strata even as he shoveled it in his mouth. John and Ronon weren't so subtle; they were merely tucking it away. The turkey was vanishing fast, as was the stuffing, as was... well, everything. 

It wasn't long before the table was picked clean. "That," Teyla said, wiping ineffectually at the mess that was her son, "was delicious. Thank you, Jeannie."

There were inarticulate noises of pleasure coming from other corners of the table, so Jeannie felt well-thanked. "You're welcome. That was only the warm-up! We'll have lighter meals for the next two nights, then our fake Christmas feast, then we'll start thinking about other stuff. John said he wanted a cook-out too."

"Mmm, burgers and dogs," John murmured, his eyes mostly closed in bliss.

"Yes, mad cow and mystery-meat nitrates," Mer grumbled half-heartedly next to him. 

Jeannie sighed. "Whatever, Mer. You, John, Kaleb and Kanaan are on clean-up duty. Ronon, Teyla and I are on kid wrangling. I think Torren is going to need a hose-down. Dessert is once the dishes are in the dishwasher."

* * *

The Wii turned out to be loads of fun, though Jeannie hated to say so. Madison showed her the ballet 'game' and she and Teyla tried Yoga and John demonstrated golf -- which got Kaleb back into the game -- just when she thought he'd forgotten it for good, too, dammit. John blithely ignored her daggers as he eagerly discussed local golf courses with Kaleb, though Mer managed some sympathetic looks.

By late morning, Jeannie and Teyla got away from the house to the supermarket, running over to Choices to stock up on essentials (Ronon ate like a small army) and to plan for their mock Christmas feast. Teyla stopped dead as soon as they entered the produce department, staring around with wide eyes and an open mouth.

Jeannie had to snicker. "A bit more than you're used to?"

"There is such... _variety_ ," Teyla murmured. She walked to the massive display of apples. "Are these not a fall fruit?"

"It's always fall somewhere on the pl-- somewhere," Jeannie replied, wincing at her gaffe. "But yeah, the best come in the fall. I love the ones that are locally grown around here, I'll have to send you a home-made apple pie this fall."

"Oh, yes, please do!" Teyla turned back to the bewildering display. "May we try one of... everything?"

Jeannie laughed. "Sure! But we're going to Costco later for diapers, it's better to buy in bulk for some of the other stuff, so I'll tell you what we're getting there."

"In bulk?"

"I'll explain it as we go." 

They ended up needing two shopping carts, and not just because Teyla wanted to try everything. With just one vegetarian man in the house, Jeannie was used to buying frugally. Now she suddenly had four non-vegetarian bottomless pits eating her out of house and home, so one loaf of bread became five (and then ten when she thought about Ronon), three cartons of yogurt became three six-packs, a gallon of milk became four gallons and coffee... she might as well just get that at Costco too. In fact, she put a lot of stuff back, like milk and eggs, because she knew she could get it cheaper there. 

She explained Costco to Teyla during their marathon run of things Jeannie knew she had to get at Choices. By the time they were done, Jeannie winced at the thought of how much she was going to have to spend, but then Teyla reached into her pocked and pulled out a debit card. 

"You must let me purchase this," Teyla said. 

"How did you...?"

"Sergeant Harriman, are you familiar with him? At the SGC, a short man, who is bald?"

Oh. "Oh! Yes, Walter? He gave it to you?"

Teyla smiled broadly. "Yes. One to me and one to Ronon. It represents our pay as general contractors. He showed us how to use them as well."

"But, Teyla... how much are they worth?" 

Teyla lowered her voice and leaned in closer. "I asked the same question, and his answer was, 'you do not have to ever worry about that.'"

Jeannie felt her eyes grow wide. "Wow."

Teyla nodded. "Since we are so rarely on Ear... I mean, so rarely here in Canada, I think he is correct."

Impressed, Jeannie let Teyla pay for the groceries, all two hundred fifteen dollars worth. The debit card covered it without a hiccough and they shared a look.

On the way home, Jeannie brought up the topic that had been bugging her since the day before. "You said something yesterday about Mer that's been bothering me." She glanced at Teyla and saw her smiling. "What?"

After a moment, Teyla said, "Perhaps I spoke out of turn yesterday, on the matter of Rodney's personal life. You know I consider him almost as much my brother as you do?"

That warmed Jeannie inside and made her smile, even as she felt a little frustrated -- you don't drop hints like that and just back off! "Well, I'm glad -- no, I'm thrilled, actually -- to know that, because it's good to know someone is watching out for that idiot. But Teyla, you basically said someone is in love with Mer, but he doesn't know it!"

"Not quite..." Teyla sighed gently. "Jeannie, I believe that in many respects you are smarter than your brother. Observe him closely during this time. I think you may see something that will surprise you."

Then they were turning into the driveway, and Jeannie couldn't spend any more attention to the question.

* * *

Madison was quite upset that they weren't putting up a real Christmas tree. 

"It's not really Christmas," Jeannie patiently explained for the four thousandth time. "It's June, Madison. We're only doing this because Uncle Meredith, Uncle John, Aunt Teyla, Uncle Kanaan, Ronon and Torren can't usually come for real Christmas."

"But--"

"And anyway, there aren't any real Christmas trees for sale!"

"But--"

"And Santa Claus will _not_ be coming!"

At the stricken look on Madison's face, Jeannie sighed. "We will, however, be putting up the little Christmas tree village. Will that help?"

"Will I get any presents?"

Jeannie put her hand over her face and tried to keep from strangling her only child.

"What, the Wii isn't enough?" Mer asked, in an outraged voice that didn't fool anyone, not even Madison.

"That was for you, Uncle Mer!"

"Hey, I don't do ballet! Or yoga!"

"Perish the thought," John said, his lips twitching. "Look, Madison, I think if you're good about this, there might just be something in it for you. But that means you'll have to take your old uncles shopping for your mom and dad, too."

Madison brightened up for that. "Okay!"

And Mer brightened up as soon as Kaleb brought the Christmas tree village down from the attic. "Wait a minute," he said, as soon as he saw the faded labels, "is that...?"

"Uh-huh," Jeannie said, carefully unwrapping the first piece. "It was part of Grandma Yvonne's inheritance. Remember it?"

"It's Great-Uncle Meredith's stuff. The Christmas tree village." Mer's voice was soft and wondrous. "I'd almost forgotten it."

"Hands behind your back, Madison," Jeannie said as Madison hovered close. "Remember the rule? We're going to have to baby-proof this again, what with Torren crawling around." 

"Jeannie, this is beautiful," John said, as he, Ronon, Kanaan and Teyla gathered around. "It looks so old."

"It is," Mer said. "It belonged to our mother's side of the family, the Ingrams. I used to watch it for hours, just mesmerized."

"Mom tried to have it appraised once, did she tell you?" Jeannie said, carefully putting the tree out on the bed of fake 'snow.'

"No," Mer said, surprised. "What happened?"

Jeannie snickered. "The guy tried to buy it from her on the spot, for fifteen thousand dollars. She just laughed and walked back out."

"Is that a lot?" Ronon said, as everyone else made appreciative noises.

"Yeah," Mer said, obviously awed. "That's a lot." 

"It is so _tiny_ and perfect," Teyla said, examining every piece as it was set out. "There are people inside the buildings!"

"Those are Santa's elves!" Madison said, bouncing on her toes, with her hands firmly behind her back. "The big building is his workshop and next to it is the barn where the flying reindeer live, and there's his house, over by the Christmas tree! See it?!"

Jeannie glanced at Mer's face and found it softened. He was smiling gently and looked almost young again, like the big brother she remembered, far too many years before, before he grew up, lost his innocence, became the hard and cynical Dr. Rodney McKay. Then she blinked, because she wasn't the only one looking at Mer -- John was too, and in his face there was the same kind of wonder and sadness and bittersweet joy she felt at seeing Meredith reemerge. 

As she watched, John put his hand on Mer's shoulder and squeezed gently. "It's pretty cool, buddy."

Mer smiled at him. "Yeah. I'd almost forgotten all about this."

"Glad you came?"

Mer's smile got just a little wider. "Yeah. I guess I am."

Jeannie returned to carefully putting out the rest of the village but her brain was churning madly, and it wasn't thinking about Christmas.

* * *

Over the next couple of weeks, Jeannie wished she had stock in Costco because they were buying the store out. She barely saw her husband; when he wasn't at work, he was out back with Kanaan building increasingly grandiose traps for the rabbit colony which apparently thought like Bugs Bunny and had declared war. The guys took the kids to all the playgrounds in the vicinity and Jeannie took Teyla to the mall on a girl's shopping spree and they all went to the big Vancouver indoor swimming pool -- which was probably a mistake. That much gorgeous male (and here Jeannie included her brother, because whoa, Mer had suddenly become almost ripped and that was amazing) wearing skimpy board shorts should probably have been declared illegal. 

When Mer collapsed, dripping, onto a chaise next to her after taking a turn with Madison, Jeannie made a point to say so. "Mer, remember when I told you that you were no John Sheppard?"

He turned to glare at her, still breathing hard from chasing Madison around in the pool. "I'll have you know," he began but she cut him off.

"I partially rescind that. You've really gotten into better shape and it looks good on you."

Mer stopped in mid-rant, his mouth hanging open. "What looks good on him? Home cooking?" John asked, also dripping wet as he emerged from the pool, a squealing Madison draped over one shoulder.

"There, see?" Mer said, pointing to Jeannie. "My sister says I'm as good-looking as you!"

"Now, wait a minute," Jeannie said, laughing as she took Madison from John, "I wouldn't go quite that far--"

"Oh, I don't know, he's getting pretty close," John drawled, dropping down to the end of Mer's chaise and picking up a towel. "As far as male beauty goes. Which, of course, neither of us can judge accurately, right?" He looked at Jeannie with a perfectly straight face and laughing eyes. She threw a wet towel at him.

Mer spluttered for a moment then threw the towel back at Jeannie. "Not that it matters, because neither of us are anywhere close to Ronon." He gestured with his chin to the high diving board, where Ronon stood, ready to leap again. His adoring masses were gathered at the base of the tower, waiting for him.

"Ronon's tall and strong!" Madison said as Ronon leaped into the water. "But you're big and strong too, Uncle Mer."

"Yes, he is," John agreed, poking a tickling finger at Madison, who giggled. "In fact, your uncle regularly saves the whole universe, kiddo, did you know that?"

Madison's eyes grew wide. "Really?"

"Really," John said, nodding somberly. Jeannie had a hard time keeping a straight face and Mer was turning several shades of red. "That's how he got so big and strong. He's always shooting the bad guys, too, the ones who want to take over the universe. I happen to know he once used a great big gun to shoot a huge, scary--"

"John," Jeannie said warningly.

"Hairy mouse," John continued without pausing. 

"Sheppard," Mer said, closing his eyes and dropping his face in his hands. "Oh God, please..."

"But mouses are scary, Uncle Mer!" Madison insisted. "Mommy found a mouse in the house oncet, and she screamed and had to sit on the table until Daddy came home!"

Now it was Jeannie's turn to blush, and Mer's turn to rag on her. Luckily, they were interrupted by Teyla and Kanaan with Torren. They had been in the kiddie pool and Torren looked worn out and limp as a dishrag. 

"It is time to return home, I think," Teyla said, smiling at the group. "If we can persuade Ronon to do so. What have I missed?"

"Maybe Madison will tell you about her mother and the scary mouse," John said, tweaking Madison's nose as they all stood to collect towels and other belongings.

* * *

By the second week, Mer had become so mellow he didn't even raise a fuss over vegetarian lasagna for dinner. Ronon never complained about anything for dinner, he shoveled everything down whatever it was and was always appreciative. Teyla learned a lot about cooking and baking from Jeannie and began creating her own desserts. Kaleb joined John and Ronon in their early morning runs and began a relocation program for the bunnies he caught with Kanaan's help -- though Kanaan had expressed an interest in using them for dinner and Madison had expressed an interest in keeping them as pets.

They went to movies, en masse and in smaller groups. Sometimes the guys would take Madison and Torren and give the couples some really needed alone time, and sometimes the whole raucous bunch of them would go to some large, family-style restaurant and take over the place, enjoying the night. Their SGC babysitters were often around, but never too obtrusive, and they found they never really needed to violate the twenty-mile rule -- they were having too much fun. Shopping trips were frequent and not always strictly necessary, and Jeannie got used to having someone ask for the car keys late at night for a run to the local ice cream place.

And Jeannie watched. She watched how Mer's prediction of them all going nuts being cooped up with each other for three weeks failed to come true. She watched them interact -- the team plus the two of Torren and Kanaan -- and saw how they connected, how they teased each other, cared for each other, shored each other up. Most of all, she saw John with Mer and Mer with John. She remembered watching the videos of her brother's decline into the 'second childhood' and remembered who he had called for, whose name he had remembered when all other names had left him. Finally, she noticed it wasn't only Torren who had a bad case of hero worship.

By the time the three weeks began to draw to a close (far, far too quickly), Jeannie realized she had a new family, one by choice, not by blood. Teyla was the sister she'd never had, Ronon the little brother she and Mer had always wanted, Torren the nephew who worshipped at Madison's feet. Madison, in fact, had already put in an order with her Mom and Dad for a baby brother, just like TJ, and they were actually thinking about it. Those baby pictures 'Rod' had shown her had been a little compelling, after all. But there was something she needed to discuss with Mer, and she needed to do it soon.

Her chance came during their faux fourth cookout. John had control of the barbeque and by special request, Mer had come in to the kitchen with Jeannie, to prepare the real and fake burgers, allowing them to be alone for a little while.

"We haven't had a chance to talk, you know, just us," Jeannie said, adding paprika to the potato salad. The deviled eggs were already sitting on the counter, waiting to be taken outside for the meal. "What's happening in your life?"

Mer snorted. "I send you emails every week," he said. "That's how we got into this mess in the first place."

"Work emails, yes. Quit pushing the fake meat aside, it tastes just as good."

"No it doesn't, and isn't that enough?"

"No, it's not. And yes it does. I mean personal stuff. You seeing anyone?" Jeannie kept vigorously stirring the potato salad, carefully not looking up.

"Oh, here we go," Mer muttered and Jeannie reached out and smacked him in the shoulder without even looking. "Mer."

"Fine. Well. Uh. Yeah, kinda." 

Jeannie glanced at him and noticed he was studiously avoiding looking at her too. "Well, who?"

"Um." Mer set one real patty on the tray and started on another. "Jennifer. Sort of."

"Jennifer? Jennifer _Keller_? Oh, please."

"Oh please _what_?" From tentative to defensive and outraged in half a second, that's Mer.

"She's like half your age and your doctor to boot. Not a good choice, Mer."

"One, she's not half my age, and two, it doesn't matter if she's my doctor. I like her. I think I love her. So there."

"Of course you love her, she saved your life." Jeannie snorted. "Are you sure you're not sublimating--"

"Who died and made you Jung? I think I know my own mind quite well, thank you."

Jeannie snorted again and reached for the mayonnaise. "Yeah, right."

"Would you _stop_ \--"

"No, I won't, Mer!" She banged the mayo down on the counter top hard enough to rattle the bowl of potato salad and turned to look at him full on. "I watched those recordings, Mer. I didn't want to, but I did. All of them, even though they made me cry." Even though the thought of them were trying to make her cry again. "Do you know why she didn't diagnose you sooner? Because she liked you better 'nice!' She didn't realize there was something wrong with you until your brain started to degenerate way past simple memory loss because you were acting 'nice!' Does that sound like someone who could love you for who and what you are?"

Mer was staring at her, a stunned-bunny look on his face. "What?" he whispered.

"You didn't know that, did you?" Jeannie swallowed the lump in her throat and made herself continue. "You're a pain in the ass, Mer, but it's who you are and I don't want you to change! I wouldn't _want_ you to change. Your team doesn't want you to change, do they?"

She didn't let him answer, not that he was intending on doing so, apparently, from the way his mouth was hanging open.

"I watched all the tapes," she continued. "I talked to everyone who helped you and let me tell you something, yeah, she was your doctor, and she cared about you, but it was your team, _your team_ came up with the way to save you, not her!" She reached out and took Mer's arm in one hand. With the other, she swiped at her eyes. "And even when you forgot her name, hell, even when you forgot your own damn name, you remembered John's. When you woke up in the middle of the night, you ran to John, not to Jennifer, didn't you?"

Mer swallowed hard and looked down. "He's my best friend."

"He's more than that! Jesus, Mer! Can't you see what's right in front of you? You're in love with him!"

Well, _that_ got him to look up, anyway, even if the look was a panicked glare. "No. Stop right there. Don't you even dare, Jeannie--"

"Oh just shut up. I've known you're bi since I caught you making out with Alan Desrochers when you were sixteen."

Now the glare was outrage and a little fear. "You saw--"

"I was ten, Mer, I knew what making out looked like! You need to tell him!"

"Are you insane? I can't tell him! And there's nothing to tell! Jeannie, I--"

Jeannie released his arm so she could whap his shoulder. "You think I wouldn't tell you this if it wasn't reciprocated? He _loves_ you, you idiot! Why, I don't know, but he does!"

"He doesn't love me!" Mer roared. "Not that way, not like that! And anyway, haven't you heard of the U.S.--"

"You're wrong." They both jerked around to see John standing at the back door, looking like someone had hit him in the head with a brick. "You're bi?"

Mer staggered back against the counter, his face going white as a sheet. "Oh God, oh god..."

Jeannie swiped at her face again and firmed up her backbone. "Yeah. He is. Just like you are. Right?"

"Wrong." 

She fumbled behind her for the edge of the countertop and held on so tightly she was surprised she didn't break off a chunk. "But--"

"I'm gay."

All the air left Jeannie's lungs in a whoosh and she thought she might pass out, right there and then. "Really?" she squeaked.

But John wasn't looking at her, he was focused on Mer. "I thought you were straight."

"I -- I thought _you_ were straight," Mer replied, his voice as scared as Jeannie had ever heard it.

"I am, according to the U.S. military." John's voice was flat and inflectionless, but there was something underneath it, some emotion trying to break free, and Jeannie just couldn't figure out what it was. 

There was a long, pregnant silence, punctuated by the harsh breathing of the three people in the room. Jeannie wanted desperately to say something, anything, but she was terrified to speak, afraid that anything she said would be the wrong thing and break the spell, ruin whatever it was that was beginning to grow here.

Suddenly the back door flew open with a bang, making all three of them jump. " _Mom_!" Madison yelled, coming into the house. "Dad says he needs a bandage and I'm hungry when we gonna eat?"

"I'll be right there, honey, and we'll eat in a bit. Go find out how big a bandage, okay?" She turned and grabbed Mer, almost throwing him into John. "Go down to the basement and talk. _Talk._ Please. I know you're both men and emotionally stunted and incapable of proper communication but for the sake of my sanity, please. Go." She roughly grabbed Mer's head and kissed his temple. "I love you, you jerk, you deserve to be happy for once in your life. Please." With a hard shove, she pushed them in the direction of the basement door and turned for the back door, praying they would, for once, do as they were told to do. 

Once outside, she grabbed Teyla. "Can you help me with the hamburgers?" she asked, breathless.

"Of course, I thought Rodney--"

Leaning in, she whispered, "I know who you were talking about now and pray to anybody who might be listening that they're on their way to having sex in the basement and we won't see them until after dinner." 

Teyla's eyes grew wide and she turned to face Jeannie, a smile spreading across her face. "That is wonderful news! I do not know how you managed it..."

"I'm not sure either, and maybe we should lock the basement door."

"And bar it," Teyla agreed, standing to follow Jeannie back inside.

"Honey, can you get me a bandage? I'm kinda bleeding here," Kaleb said, showing Jeannie his hand, where a broad scratch had blood running from it.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, get in here, you need to wash that. You didn't get bitten by something, did you?" Jeannie dragged Kaleb into the house, washed and bandaged his scrape, got Ronon to fire up the barbeque and Teyla to help with the rest of the prep work for dinner. 

They were sitting down to dinner outside before Kanaan looked around and said, "Where are John and Rodney?"

Teyla and Jeannie shared a quiet smile. "They have been... delayed. We shall set aside some food for them."

"Yep." Jeannie nodded at Teyla's careful words. "Delayed. They'll be... around in a bit." Kaleb frowned at her but she just shook her head and smiled happily.

* * *

Epilogue: About a Month Later

* * *

Torren was with Kanaan, in his new walker, tearing up the halls in his prescribed areas and having fun.  Teyla had brought her laptop to the mess hall to get a cup of tea and get caught up on some paperwork and a few emails. The hall wasn't terribly crowded, but she happened to be sitting close enough to John and Rodney to hear them speak, though they weren't being very quiet.

"So, this guy, he was a... he was doing his doctorate the same time as me..." Rodney said.

"Not a friend," John added and Teyla could hear the smile in his voice.

"Oh, hell no. Anyway, he's got some super secret... thing... a big presentation about some new thing he's working on and everyone who's anyone in the physics community is going to be there." Rodney sighed. "And... well... see, the thing is, there's this... perception out there that I'm... uh..."

"Weird?"

Teyla smiled and could almost _hear_ Rodney roll his eyes to John's comment.

"Funny. No, that I'm a recluse. A... a washout."

"A what? You're kidding me." 

"It's because of this! I do this for a living, super secret kill you if I told you kind of stuff, I can't publish, nobody can know what I do, I'm kind of hard to get a hold of due to the whole living in a different galaxy thing, so they all think I... I don't do anything."

They were silent for a moment then John quietly said, "That sucks, Rodney."

Rodney sighed again. "Well, yeah. But... well, anyway, I was thinking, if I was to, say, show up with... with a, you know, a guy, a gorgeous guy, like, on my arm..."

"Oh, so that's all I am, arm candy?"

"Well, no," Rodney replied, clearly flustered for a moment before he continued, "You dick. Maybe you are. Arm candy. Smart arm candy. And maybe they'd think I wasn't... you know, not a -- a complete... loser."

"McKay..."

"You know, you wouldn't have to stay more than the one night, it's just a reception thing, you know, wear a tux, do you have a tux?"

John snorted. "Yes, Rodney, I have a tux, and it's even tailored. And yes. I'll be your arm candy. Doofus."

"You will?"

"Course I will. If you agree to do something with me afterwards, for the rest of our trip."

"As long as it doesn't involve me risking my life and limb, fine."

Teyla couldn't see their faces clearly, but she was certain Rodney's carried a sweet smile, one she was seeing more and more of since they had returned from Jeannie's home. She drew her laptop closer and called up her email program, beginning a new message. 

"Dear Jeannie..."

end


End file.
